Line hauling and coiling apparatus

ABSTRACT

A crab trap warp line can be both hauled and coiled by the disclosed apparatus including coiling mechanism operated conjunctively with hauling mechanism through a common hydraulic drive system tending to operate the coiler somewhat faster than the hauler so as to help the latter with knots. A presser wheel wedging line into the V-shaped groove of the coiler&#39;&#39;s power driven sheave bends the line downward to pass through a tapered chute into a rotative slinger tube of elbowed configuration with a threading slot. As the slinger rotates with the drive sheave, the line pulled from the hauler descends in a helical configuration into a frustoconical receptacle having a side opening through which the formed coil can be withdrawn directly. Interlock mechanism is also disclosed for the slinger and a slip clutch for the drive connection to the slinger safely permit removal and insertion of line with the slinger stopped in an indexed position wherein its slot is positioned in registry with a line threading slot in the slinger drive and support means.

United States Patent [191 Bartl et al.

[451 Oct. 16, 1973 LINE HAULING AND COILING APPARATUS [75] Inventors: Ronald W. Bartl, Bellevue, Wash;

George G. Fulton, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada [73] Assignee: Marine Construction & Design Co.,

Seattle, Wash.

[22] Filed: Feb. 2, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 111,977

[52] US. Cl 242/47, 242/82, 242/83, 254/175.5, 254/197 [51] Int. Cl..... B2lc 47/14, B65h 54/00, B66d l/38 [58] Field of Search 254/l75.5, 197; 242/82-83, 47

Primary Examiner-Stanley N. Gilreath Assistant Examiner-Milton S. Gerstein Attorney-Christensen & Sanborn [5 7] ABSTRACT A crab trap warp line can be both hauled and coiled by the disclosed apparatus including coiling mechanism operated conjunctively with hauling mechanism through a common hydraulic drive system tending to operate the coiler somewhat faster than the hauler so as to help the latter with knots. A presser wheel wedging line into the V-shaped groove of the coilers power driven sheave bends the line downward to pass through a tapered chute into a rotative slinger tube of elbowed configuration with a threading slot. As the slinger rotates with the drive sheave, the line pulled from the hauler descends in a helical configuration into a frustoconical receptacle having a side opening through which the formed coil can be withdrawn directly. Interlock mechanism is also disclosed for the slinger and a slip clutch for the drive connection to the slinger safely permit removal and insertion of line with the slinger stopped in an indexed position wherein its slot is positioned in registry with a line threading slot in the slinger drive and support means.

9 Claims, 11 Drawing Figures minnow 16 ms SHEET 10F 4 Fem hweAuz/z' PUMP HAULEJQ RONALD W. BARTL GEORGE G. FULTON PATENIEuncnsmu i J 3.785.614

. sum am 4 4 v //V//A/7'0/ 404 RONALD w. BARTL 4 By GEORGE e. FULTON LINE HAULING AND COILING APPARATUS BACKGROUND OF INVENTION This application is companion to application Ser. No. 1 11,971 filed Feb. 2, 1971 by Olivier L. Tremoulet, Jr., claiming features of the coiler mechanism herein disclosed.

In Alaska King Crab fishing the lines are lowered and hauled by lines or warps secured to floats. The length of the lines used are increased for greater depths when necessary by tying on one or more additional line sections. Because the loaded traps are large, heavy and often become embedded and stuck in the bottom it has become common to use power driven haulers such as are disclosed in Tullus B. Gordon U.S. Pat. No. 3,034,767 (/15/62). The line being hauled comes in rapidly and must be coiled in orderly manner. A crewman trying to do this while attending other duties ineluding pulling on the line at times to help the hauler, especially to pass knots, cannot always do the job well without assistance.

An object of this invention broadly is to provide mechanical assistance to the hauler so as to take up and coil the incoming line efficiently and to provide controlled tension in the line leading from the hauler, which tension may be increased at will so as to assist the hauler with knots (viz., knots keep the line from wedging down into the driven sheave groove wherein it can be frictionally gripped and driven) or unduly heavy line loading. A related object is to provide coordinated hauling and coiling mechanisms for pot warp applications and the like; and to provide a system of control which is practical, safe and efficient under fishing conditions wherein it is desirable for one man in an observers position to control starting, stopping and reversal of the motor drives for the cooperating mechanisms.

A further object hereof is to devise an improved line coiler, it being recognized that sheave-and-wheel fed rotary slinger line coilers as such have been known heretofore.

Another object hereof is to devise improved means for receiving and holding the line coils being formed by the coiler mechanism and to permit easy removal of the formed coils thereafter.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a line coiler which will pass knots and which will feed a knotted line efficiently. A related object is to devise a line coiler having an efficient line feed mechanism which has the tendency to remain engaged with the line and therefore in response to forces such as undulation forces caused by slinger rotation, the passage of knots, or misalignments of infed line with the plane of the feed sheave tending to dislodge a line from the feed sheave, applies a self-restoring force to the line so that it will remain continuously engaged and continuously fed through the coiler mechanism. It is also a purpose hereof to provide an efficient friction feed for line coilers capable of exerting large frinctional pull on a line without binding in the same.

A specific object hereof is to provide a crab pot warp coiler, including associated coil receiver means, into and from which a line can be threaded and removed conveniently, safely and quickly to suit the rigorous time-pressure conditions of usage in crab fishing wherein the traps must be quickly hauled, emptied, re-

baited and reset before the moving vessel leaves the vicinity of the previous set to haul the next trap.

These and other features, objects and aspects of the invention will be more fully understood from the detailed description which follows in conjunction with the accompanying drawings which illustrate the preferred embodiments of the invention.

DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is an isometric view illustrating the improved line hauling and coiling system and apparatus incorporated therein according to a preferred embodiment of this invention as installed for use aboard a crab-fishing vessel.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a combined hydraulic drive system for the hauling and coiling apparatus.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary side elevation view with parts broken away illustrating the line coiler mechanism of the system shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional detail view taken in a radial plane through the coiler drive sheave and presser wheel, with a line engaged therebetween to be fed for coiling.

FIG. 5 is a top view with parts broken away illustrating the coiler mechanism shown in FIG. 3.

FIG. 6 is a side elevation view with parts broken away showing the coiler mechanism of FIG. 3 viewed at to the showing of FIG. 3.

FIG. 7 illustrates separately for clarity latch and latch release mechanism associated with the presser wheel support arm and rotary line slinger of the coiler mechanism in an operating position as shown in FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is a side elevation view similar to FIG. 6 but with most of the illustrated parts shown in full and with the slinger latched in stationary position for threading or removal of a line and with the presser wheel raised to clear the drive sheave for either such purpose, the view in FIG. 6 showing the parts in operative position as when hauling and coiling line.

FIG. 9 is a view similar to FIG. 7 but showing the latch and latch release mechanism in the latched or locked condition of FIG. 8.

FIG. 10 is a fragmentary view similar to FIG. 6 of a modified coiler mechanism including a fluid-actuated presser wheel support arm.

FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram of a combined hydraulic drive actuator shown in FIG. 10.

DESCRIPTION In FIG. 1 the hauling and coiling system is shown installed aboard a crab fishing vessel V such as used in northern Pacific waters to catch king crabs. The traps used for king crab fishing are verylarge and heavy and the warps or lines to set and retrieve them cannot be hauled with sufficient speed, if at all, without the use of powered equipment. The line hauler H shown mounted on the davit D is of a commercially available type following generally the teachings of U.S. Pat. No. 3,034,767 (Gordon). It comprises a V-shaped sheave H1 driven by' a hydraulic motor H2 and having associated fairlead mechanism H3, line stripping means H4, and off-bear guide means H5. The line hauler H is itself not part of the present invention and to the extent it is part of the disclosed combined hauling and coiling system the details hereof are or may be conventional or of any appropriate design.

In use of the line hauler H to retrieve a crab trap (not shown) the crab trap line or warp L is inserted in the line hauler H by passing the line over the sheave H1 and through the associated fairleader and guides, whereupon line tension wedges it into the sheave groove such that energization of the hydraulic drive motor H2 hauls in the line and thereby the crab trap in the manner disclosed in the above-cited Pat. No. 3,034,767. The hauler must be capable of accepting and passing knots L in the line. The lines are preferably lengthened by tying on one or more additional lengths of line when the vessel changes its operations from shallow to deeper waters. Moreover, because of the relatively noncompressible nature of the typical line material (polypropylene) and the use of knots that can be readily untied when shorter lines are again necessary, the knots are large and their passage through the hauler without interrupting its continuity of operation presents a mechanical problem, especially due to the presence of the knot lifting the line upward from its wedged position in the sheave groove. Moreover, in order to operate the vessel efficiently during normal conditions, the traps must be hauled, emptied, rebaited and reset in a few minutes time. Whether being hauled for immediate resetting or for storage aboard, the trap warps come in through the hauler at a high rate of speed and must be appropriately received and coiled. Without an automatic coiler associated with the hauler, such as is disclosed herein, the task must be performed by an already busy crew and must be done carefully and skillfully or resetting and storage of lines becomes troublesome. Moreover, operation of a mechanical coiler, such as the mechanism C provided by this invention must be coordinated with that of the hauler. Thus speed variations or direction reversals of the hauler under different operating conditions must be matched by the coiler, controlled by one man, or through a master control valve means S, and as a further feature one mechanism helps the other in the uninterrupted inhaul and coiling of knotted sections of line.

The disclosed line coiler C also has a V-shaped linereceiving sheave which is driven by a hydraulic motor 12 through suitable reduction gear 12a. As shown in FIG. 2, the two drive motors are hydraulic, namely the hauler motor H2 and the coiler motor 12, and are energized in series circuit through lines 13a, 13b, 13c, 13d and 13e from a hydraulic pressure fluid source (not shown) and through a conventional or suitable reversing control valve 13f. In one position of the valve, fluid under pressure flows in one direction through the two motors from the pressure source to the hydraulic reservoir or tank (not shown) so as to operate the hauler and coiler in the inhaul direction. In its reverse setting the valve causes reverse direction of flow through the motors from the source to the reservoir so as to reverse the motors. This is done momentarily after the trap is lifted aboard the vessel and line slack is desired at the hauler in order to permit disengaging the line from the hauler sheave. In either direction of drive the two motors start, stop and reverse together and, being energized in series, rotate at speeds which are equal or vary up and down together proportionately as load hydraulic drive pressure is varied. A common torque-limiting pressure relief valve 13g prevents motor overload or line breakage.

Coiler sheave 10 is mounted for driven rotation on a horizontal shaft 14 which, along with the hydraulic drive 12, 12a which turns it, is mounted in suitable bearings upon frame plate 16 standing up from the support table 18 in turn mounted as a cantilever in horizontal position on the outer end of the cantilever support arm 20. The latter is held on the mast M by means of bolted clamp bands 22 at the desired above-deck height and at the desired orientive position addressing it correctly relative to the location of hauler H. By loosening and retightening the clamp bolts 22a the height and angular position (rotated about the mast M) may be varied to suit different conditions or to operate with differently stationed haulers or other line feed arrangements on the vessel. Hydraulic motor 12 and the drive ratio of its associated output gearing 12a are designed to rotate the coiler line feed sheave 10 so as to advance the line through the coiler at a speed normally slightly in excess of the speed at which the hauler H advances the line. Thus, if any slack tends to develop in the line between the hauler and the coiler, it will soon be taken up by the coiler and to the extent that the coiler tends to pull line faster than the hauler theline will slip in the V-groove of the coiler, yet at all times during normal operation will maintain appreciable tension in the stretch of line between the two devices so as to aid the hauler materially in its capability of gripping and applying drive traction to the line. This added line tension continuously maintained by the coiler greatly assists the hauler in passing knots without interruption or slowing down of the hauling operation. In so doing the coiler exerts a much steadier and more controlled amount of tension in the line between the two devices than could a crewman attempting, however diligently, to perform the same function. Thus the hauling operation in such a system is performed more reliably and uninterruptedly under varying or adverse conditions employing a coordinated tractionally acting hauler and coiler, with the latter operating slightly faster than the hauler, than in conventional practice.

The line coiler sheave 10 has a V-groove of about 55 or thereabouts, included angle. The groove walls comprise or are lined with rubber or rubber-like material 10a of a type which will frictionally engage a line wedged into the base of the groove so as to increase drive traction capability of the sheave. Pressure against the line wedging it down into the base of the coiler sheave groove as shown is exerted by a presser wheel 24 mounted to be separately driven or, as shown, to rotate freely on a horizontal support shaft 26, the free end of which, 26', serves as a handle to raise and lower the wheel manually. In the presser wheels operative position bearing against the line L so as to force it into the base of the coiler sheave groove itsaxis of rotation lies in a vertical plane displaced horizontally from the vertical plane containing the rotation axis of sheave shaft 14. The amount of this offset of the presser wheel axis approximates or somewhat exceeds the groove base radius of the sheave 10 and lies in the direction of advancement of the line over the top of the sheave 10 (FIG. 6) such that the wheel bends the line downward over the sheave and enables the wheel to pass knots but to resist being driven upward easily by their passage beneath the wheel.

The presser wheel support shaft 26 is mounted on the end of a support arm 28 which is pivoted intermediate its ends on a horizontal pin 30 on upright frame plate 16. The pivot 30 is located at an intermediate level of height '(i.e., between the heights of the shafts 26 and 14) and in a vertical plane offset horizontally from the vertical plane containing the axis of shaft 14 in the direction opposite from the offset of shaft 26. Thus, as will be best seen in FIG. 6, with pivot 30 as its fulcrum, the arm 28 carrying the presser wheel 24 causes the presser wheel to move downwardly against a crab trap line L retained in the sheave along an arc which intersects the point of contact between the presser wheel 24 and the line L at an acute angle to the tangential interface at the point of contact between the presser wheel and the line.

Moreover, the presser wheel 24 has a soft rubber rim 24a both sides 24a1 and 24a2 of which are chamfered at an angle which is slightly (of the order of not more than a few degrees) steeper than the slope angle of the respectively adjacent sides of the sheave (see FIG. 4). It is found with these slope relationships that any tendency of the line to climb up out of the confines between the base of the groove in sheave 10 and the rim of the presser wheel 24 is inherently offset by restorative forces returning the line back into the base of the groove where it tends to be retained squarely centered beneath the presser wheel 24 and thus subjected to maximum drive traction. This phenomenon is particularly useful in a coiler mechanism wherein the lines have knots and wherein the slinger (to be described) operating beneath the coiler drive sheave 10 sets up undulations in the line in the process of laying it in a coil beneath the mechanism. It also works to advantage if the plane of the coiler sheave is not accurately aligned with the direction in which line is fed to it, such as if the line is temporarily deflected by a person or object in the stretch between coiler and hauler.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 6 and 8, the presser wheel 24 acts by gravity as suggested by the dotted arrow in FIG. 6. To some extent its weight including that of its handle shaft 26 and adjacent end portion of its pivoted support arm 28 is offset by that of the opposite end portion of the support arm 28 and link 40 pivotally connected thereto, later to be described in connection with the associated latch mechanism of which it is a part.

Line L fed downward overthe coiler sheave 10 enters a downwardly tapered funnelling shield or guide 42 of interrupted frustoconical form having on its bottom an out-turned mounting flange 42a by which it is bolted to the frame plate or table 18 in registry with an opening 18a in the table. The opening 18a is of the same size or slightly larger than the bottom opening in the guide 42 so as to pass the line freely through the table 18 and down into the rotary slinger tube 44. The frustoconical form of the entrance guide 42 for the slinger tube 44 is interrupted laterally in the sense that it does not form a complete frustoconical encircling member for the reason that one side of it is open so as to receive the rims of the coiler sheave 10. Intrusion of the sheave l0 horizontally through the upper portion of the guide 42 is sufficient to position the base of the sheave groove over the opening 18a through which the descending line L must pass. It is important that the guide wall in front of the sheave extend upward to a height approaching that of the lower part of the presser wheel 24, or more specifically the nip of that wheel with the sheave, so as to assure the proper accommodation and funnelling guidance of knots and tails downwardly into the slinger. From the upright edge 42b, which is adjacent one exterior side of the coiler sheave 10 (see FIGS. 6 and 8) the guide 42 extends circumferentially across the front or off-bear side of the coiler sheave 10 to a second edge 42c which is in registry with the adjacent edge of a slot 18b formed in the base plate 18 extending from the outer edge of the plate to the aperture in the plate. This slot will pass the line L for threading of the coiler. With the elbow-shaped tubular slinger 44 arrested in its indexed line threading position as shown in FIG. 8, its own longitudinally extending threading slot 440 lies in registry with the frame plate slot 18b and thereby permits threading of line transversely of its length into the coiling machine through the slots 44a and 18b and into a position where the line is disposable in the sheave groove.

The remaining segment of the interrupted funnelling guide 42 is the wedge-shaped segment 42d mounted on the bed plate 18 in a position to project up into the lower side of the tapered groove in sheave 10 to which it generally conforms in shape with slight clearance between the sides of the groove and the edges of the segment 42d as shown best in FIG. 3. This wedge-shaped segment of the guide 42 serves not only a guiding or deflection function which directs the line downwardly through the plate aperture 18a into the tubular slinger 44, but it serves in effect as a line peeler. In this latter capacity, in the event a line becomes stuck in the base of the groove of sheave 10, it will be stripped out of the groove and down into the slinger much in the manner of the line peeler or stripper disclosed in the aforesaid US. Pat. No. 3,034,767. Also, the position of the segment 42d and its angular relationship to a radius line of the sheave 10 to the element 42d is such as to enable it to serve this deflecting function efficiently. As will be noted in FIG. 8, this latter angular relationship is served and the segment is most easily made if the segment 42d is not of a true conical surface configuration but that of a simple cylinder, the elements of which are perpendicular to the top plane of the plate 18 which supports Rotational support for the elbow-shaped tubular slinger 44 is provided by a bearing means 46 mounted on the underside of plate 18 to encircle the central aperture 18a in such plate. A sprocket 44b integrally encircling the upper end of the slinger tube 44 immediately beneath the support bearing 46 is engaged by a free and deflectable stretch of endless drive chain 48 which encircles the horizontally spaced driven sprocket 50 and idler sprocket 52. Sprocket 50 is on a shaft 54 journalled in and passing upwardly through the frame plate 18 and on its upper end has a bevel gear 56. Both gear 56 and sprocket 50 are keyed to shaft 54. Bevel gear 56 meshes with a bevel gear 58 on a horizontal shaft 60 which in turn is driven by a chain-and-sprocket transmission 62 including a sprocket on the shaft 60 and a sprocket on a slip clutch bushing 64 encircling and mounted upon the support and drive shaft 14 for the coiler sheave 10 (FIG. 3). The arrangement is such that driven rotation of the shaft 14 to turn the sheave 10 also acts through the slip clutch mechanism including the bushing 64 to drive the bevel gear 58 and thereby the endless chain 48 engaging the sprocket 44b by which to rotate the elbow-shaped slinger 44 about its vertical rotation axis. The use of chain 48 engaging sprocket 44b permits incorporation of a threading slot in the sprocket by which to insert and remove line L from the mechanism, without the presence of the slot causing interruption of the rotational drive of the slinger when the sheave is being rotated. Use of a slip clutch in the drive connection from the sheave drive to the slinger drive permits the slinger to be stopped positively in its indexing position by the latch mechanism shortly to be described, without necessity of interrupting driven rotation of the sheave 10.

As will be seen in FIGS. 3 through 8, the longitudinally extending threading slot 44a in the slinger is located on its side which faces the direction of rotation of the slinger with the mechanism driven in the direction to coil line. The elbow-shaped slinger tube 44 causes the line being advanced through it by the driven sheave 10 to be thrown outwardly in a descending helical pattern so as to settle in a coil centered beneath the slinger.

In order to confine and shape the coil of line being formed by rotation of the slinger, a tubular receiver or tub 70 is placed directly beneath and concentrically with the slinger, such as by positioning it directly on the deck of the vessel V. The interior wall of this receiver is tapered upwardly by a small angle such as of the order of a few degrees such that the line does not tend to hang up on the side walls of the receptacle but settles immediately on the coil being formed at the bottom and in orderly fashion coil by coil upon itself. The side wall has a relatively wide gap 70a extending from the top thereof an appreciable distance toward the bottom and, in the example, all the way to the bottom, which gap is sufficiently wide to enable reception of the floats on the leading ends of pot warps in the initial phase when the warp is being threaded into the coiler; also to enable a person to reach in through the side wall directly and to directly withdraw the coiled line thus formed out the slot without having to lift the line upwardly through the top of the receptacle. Typically, a lashing thong L, will be laid on the deck extending into the interior of the receptacle 70 through the slot 70a so that its ends project free of the coil of line and so that it lies beneath the formed coil. Thereupon the thong L, may be tied around the coil to hold the coil loops together for convenient storage.

In order to thread line into and remove it from the coiling mechanism, as previously stated, it is desirable to provide a positive latching mechanism which arrests the slinger with its wall slot 44a and its sprocket slot in registry with the slot 18b in the mounting plate 18. To this end, a latch arm 74 pivoted at 76 intermediate its end on a frame extension 78 has an upturned tip 74a at one end which is adapted to engage in a recess or slot in the web of sprocket 44b as depicted in FIG. 3. Such engagement occurs when the latch arm 74 as it appears in FIG. 6 is rotated in a clockwise direction from its normal retracted position shown in that figure wherein it rests against a stop ledge 80 on the frame extension 78. Link 40 previously mentioned depends from a pivotal connection 40a with the end of support arm 28 for the presser wheel 24 and has an edge 40b which normally rests and slides against a pin 82 projecting from one side of the latch arm 74. There is a notch 400 in the same edge of the link 40 which is adapted to receive the pin 82 and is so formed as to hold this pin and with it the latch arm 74 in the latching position of the arm when the latter is swung in a clockwise direction (FIG. 6) so as to raise the pin to the level of the notch 40c (FIG. 8). This locking action of the pin 82 in the notch 40c occurs automatically by gravity due to the angled position of the link 40, once the latch arm is swung above its latching position with the dog 74a engaged with the recess or opening in the sprocket 44b. In order to effect such engagement it is simply necessary to raise the handle end 26' of the shaft supporting the presser wheel 24 to a height which thrusts the link 40 downward to a position where the notch 40c passes the pin 82, that is to a position above the position of those parts shown in FIG. 8. Thereupon lowering of the handle 26', raising the link 40, causes the link to pick up the pin 82 and thereby rock the latch arm 74 to the necessary degree to engage and lock the slinger. Under these conditions the slinger is stopped in the position described and the presser wheel 24 is raised out of contact with the line L if any would otherwise be at that time in the groove of sheave 10.

In order to safely start the operation of the coiler from its latched threading position shown in FIG. 8 there is a handle 40d projecting laterally from one side of the link 40 where it may be grasped by an operator in one hand who simultaneously grasps the presser wheel control handle 26' (FIG. 3) with the other hand. Both of these handles must be simultaneously grasped by the operator in order to release the mechanism for operation, and this is done as a safety precaution which assures that both hands of the operator are clear of the moving slinger parts at the instant they begin to move, bearing in mind that the slip clutch mechanism comprising the bushing 64 permits the drive motor 12 to continue to turn during interruptions during which line is threaded or removed into and from the coiler. Now in order to unlatch the coiler slinger and to restore the presser wheel 24 to operating position (from the raised condition in FIG. 8 to that in FIG. 6) there is a cord 84 which extends between the corresponding ends of the arms 28 and 74 and which cord is slack in the latched condition of the mechanism shown in FIG. 8. The procedure is to grasp the handle 40a in one hand while lifting slightly on the handle 26' in the opposite hand, draw the link 40 to clear its notch 40c from the pin 82, lower the handle 26' so as to advance the presser wheel against a line L in the drive sheave 10, thereby to pick up the slack in the cord 84 and with further downward motion of the presser wheel to swing the latch arm 74 in a counterclockwise direction to its position shown in FIG. 6 with the notch 40c located above and clear of the pin 82. The latching mechanism parts are shown fragmentarily in FIGS. 7 and 9 corresponding respectively to the relative positions thereof in the overall views of FIGS. 6 and 8.

In the modification shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the mechanism basically is similar to that shown in the preceding figures, but there has been added to the mechanism for positioning the presser roll 24 and for operating the latch means a hydraulic piston and cylinder jack 100, one end of which at 102 is pivotally connected to the latch control end of arm 28, such as to the pivot pin 40a of the link 40, and the opposite end of which is fixedly joined at 104 to the upright frame plate 16. The jack extends generally parallel to the link 40 such that extending and contracting the jack is effective to swing the presser wheel arm clockwise or counterclockwise between the positions shown in FIG. 10.

The hydraulic jack 100 has two purposes. The first is to enable an operator at the control station S from which he controls not only the operation and direction of operation of the hydraulic motors for the hauler and coiler, also from this same station to operate a second and separate control valve so as to raise the presser wheel 24 and simultaneously actuate the latch mechanism thereby which causes the latch bar 74 to stop the slinger in its threading position shown in FIGS. 8 and 9. In this cycle of operation the hydraulic jack 100 is energized with hydraulic fluid in such a direction as to contract the length of the jack and thereby to swing the presser wheel support arm 28 clockwise to a point at which the link notch 40c picks up the pin 82, whereupon removal of such pressure or reversal of the differential pressure applied to the jack 100 causes the latch arm 74 to be swung clockwise (FIG. 10) so as to stop the slinger in the threading or indexing position. At the end of this cycle of arresting the slinger in its indexing position no further function is performed by the jack 100 until the coiler is rethreaded with line and ready to operate, whereupon the same dual manual release proecedure is required as in the preceding embodiment in order to condition the mechanism for operation.

The second function of the hydraulic jack 100 occurs during normal operation of the coiler and is one of increasing the hold-down or actuation pressure applied by the presser wheel 24 to the line L passing through the coiler. This is accomplished by applying hydraulic pressure to the jack 100 in such a direction as to rotate the arm 28 in the counterclockwise direction (FIG. 10) and is done at such times as when knots are being passed through the associated hauler or when an extra heavy line load on the hauler requires an additional assist from the coiler, in which the line would otherwise slip in the groove of the drive sheave 10 and usually also in the groove of the hauler sheave.

FIG. 11 schematically depicts the jack 100 and the associated reversible control valve 106 which may be of a metering type so as to vary the pressure applied by the jack 100. As shown schematically the valve 106 is of the neutral seeking type whereby under normal operation no pressure in either direction is applied to the jack 100. Turning the control lever 106a in one direction progressively increases the contraction force of the jack and turning it oppositely progressively increases the extension force of the jack. The control valve 13f for the motors may be of the same type if so desired, although in that event the neutral seeking feature is normally not desired.

These and other aspects of the invention will be apparent from the above disclosure of the preferred embodiment which from the broader'standpoint are illustrative and, not limiting of the scope of the inventive concepts claimed.

We claim:

1. A line coiler comprising a generally elbowed lineguiding slinger mounted and driven to rotate on an upright axis, including an entrance throat at the top and a radially offset and laterally directed exit port at the bottom to pass line downwardly through the slinger so as to cast the line in a descending helix by slinger rotation, and means to feed line through the slinger comprising a V-grooved sheave mounted and driven conjunctively with slinger rotation to rotate on a horizontal axis in a relative overlying position so as to feed line from its groove downwardly into said slinger, presser means comprising a wheel rotatively mounted above the sheave in a relative position so as to wedge the advancing line into the sheave groove, and means defining a downwardly tapered in-feed guide stationarily mounted above and in registry with the slinger of a form and in a relative position so as to funnel knotted line descendingly into the slinger from the sheave groove, the guide extending transversely across the front of the sheave groove and laterally around to locations adjacent opposite sides of the sheave at a height materially above the bottom of the sheave, the tubular slinger and the in-feed guide having respective line threader slot formations through which line may be inserted and removed transversely of its length.

2. The line coiler defined in claim 1, wherein the top of the slinger mounts a drive sprocket also traversed by a threader slot, and means to drive the slinger comprising said drive sprocket, an endless chain and spaced sprockets encircled by said chain, said spaced sprockets being relatively so mounted as to press one side of the chain into operative driving engagement with said drive sprocket, and means for driving said chain.

3. The line coiler defined in claim 2, wherein the means for driving said chain includes means drivingly connected to one of the spaced sprockets and also drivingly connected to said sheave.

4. The line coiler defined in claim 3, wherein the sheave groove is surfaced with elastically deformable material with the groove sides forming an acute angle and the presser wheel rim comprises elastically deformable material.

5. The line coiler defined in claim 1, and, positioned concentrically with and in line-receiving position beneath the slinger, a coil-forming holder device including a generally conical upwardly tapering upright coil retainer wall.

6. The line coiler defined in claim 5, wherein the holder device comprises an enclosure of generally circular cross-section the wall of which is interrupted on one side by a gap extending from the top substantially to the bottom thereof and which is of a width adequate to permit reaching in by hand and withdrawing a line coil of numerous turns directly through the gap.

7. The line coiler defined in claim 1, wherein the infeed guide'is, in part, of generally frustoconical segmental form extending arcuately between opposite sides of the sheave, and includes in part a segmental portion projecting upwardly into the interior of the sheave groove on the bottom side of the sheave to deflect line downwardly from the sheave groove which tends to remain wedged therein.

8. The line coiler defined in claim 1, and mounting frame means adapted to adjustively vary the operating height of the coiler sheave and slinger assembly and also the horizontal line-receiving direction toward which the coiler sheave is addressed.

9. 'The line coiler defined in claim 8, wherein the mounting frame means are adapted to be releasably clamped for support on the upright mast and when released to be vertically and rotatively adjusted thereon. 

1. A line coiler comprising a generally elbowed line-guiding slinger mounted and driven to rotate on an upright axis, including an entrance throat at the top and a radially offset and laterally directed exit port at the bottom to pass line downwardly through the slinger so as to cast the line in a descending helix by slinger rotation, and means to feed line through the slinger comprising a V-grooved sheave mounted and driven conjunctively with slinger rotation to rotate on a horizontal axis in a relative overlying position so as to feed line from its groove downwardly into said slinger, presser means comprising a wheel rotatively mounted above the sheave in a relative position so as to wedge the advancing line into the sheave groove, and means defining a downwardly tapered in-feed guide stationarily mounted above and in registry with the slinger of a form and in a relative position so as to funnel knotted line descendingly into the slinger from the sheave groove, the guide extending transversely across the front of the sheave groove and laterally around to locations adjacent opposite sides of the sheave at a height materially above the bottom of the sheave, the tubular slinger and the in-feed guide having respective line threader slot formations through which line may be inserted and removed transversely of its length.
 2. The line coiler defined in claim 1, wherein the top of the slinger mounts a drive sprocket also traversed by a threader slot, and means to drive the slinger comprising said drive sprocket, an endless chain and spaced sprockets encircled by said chain, said spaced sprockets being relatively so mounted as to press one side of the chain into operative driving engagement with said drive sprocket, and means for driving said chain.
 3. The line coiler defined in claim 2, wherein the means for driving said chain includes means drivingly connected to one of the spaced sprockets and also drivingly connected to said sheave.
 4. The line coiler defined in claim 3, wherein the sheave groove is surfaced with elastically deformable material with the groove sides forming an acute angle and the presser wheel rim comprises elastically deformable material.
 5. The line coiler defined in claim 1, and, positioned concentrically with and in line-receiving position beneath the slinger, a coil-forming holder device including a generally conical upwardly tapering upright coil retainer wall.
 6. The line coiler defined in claim 5, wherein the holder device comprises an enclosure of generally circular cross-section the wall of which is interrupted on one side by a gap extending from the top substantially to the bottom thereof and which is of a width adequate to permit reaching in by hand and withdrawing a line coil of numerous turns directly through the gap.
 7. The line coiler defined in claim 1, wherein the infeed guide is, in part, of generally frustoconical segmental form extending arcuately between opposite sides of the sheave, and includes in part a segmental portion projecting upwardly into the interior of the sheave groove on the bottom side of the sheave to deflect line dowNwardly from the sheave groove which tends to remain wedged therein.
 8. The line coiler defined in claim 1, and mounting frame means adapted to adjustively vary the operating height of the coiler sheave and slinger assembly and also the horizontal line-receiving direction toward which the coiler sheave is addressed.
 9. The line coiler defined in claim 8, wherein the mounting frame means are adapted to be releasably clamped for support on the upright mast and when released to be vertically and rotatively adjusted thereon. 